The classroom buzzed with low chatter after lunch, a lazy warmth hanging in the air. The teacher grabbed her bag and announced, "I'll be stepping out for a short staff meeting. Ji Yong, you're in charge. Make sure no one sets the room on fire."
Ji Hyun's head snapped up.
Ji Yong—who was halfway through doodling something dumb on the corner of his notebook—froze, then tilted his head. "Me?"
"Yes. You've got decent grades, no major behavior reports—"
"Because you never catch him," Ji Hyun muttered.
She ignored him. "You'll look after the class. If anyone misbehaves, make a note of their names. Got it?"
Ji Yong gave a lazy salute, earning a few giggles.
As soon as the door shut, Ji Hyun leaned back in his chair and smirked. "Oh, our class is in safe hands now."
"Oh, absolutely," Ji Yong said, already making his way to the front. "Let's all recite the multiplication tables. Or maybe write essays on how annoying Park Ji Hyun is."
He sat on the teacher's desk, long legs stretched out and arms crossed as if he were born to command attention. A few girls whispered and giggled, clearly not paying attention to the actual authority he didn't have.
Ji Hyun raised his hand innocently. "Mr. Choi, if a teacher leaves the classroom and a student becomes a dictator, is it legal to stage a coup?"
"Park Ji Hyun," Ji Yong said calmly, "do you want to start cleaning early?"
Laughter erupted across the room.
Another student chimed in. "Sir, do we still have homework if you're in charge?"
"Yes," Ji Yong said smoothly, "but only for people who ask stupid questions."
More laughter.
The noise level rose with every sarcastic exchange, and Ji Hyun kept adding fuel to the fire. He dropped his pen with dramatic flair. "Oops, I dropped my motivation."
"Leave it," Ji Yong said without missing a beat. "You've been missing that all year."
The class howled.
Just as the noise hit its peak, the teacher returned—brows raised, one foot barely over the threshold.
She didn't even blink. "Ji Yong."
"Yes, ma'am?"
"If anyone makes a sound, write their name on the board. Those students will be assigned Saturday cleaning duty. Every week. For a month."
The room went dead silent. You could hear a pencil fall. Or a soul leave a body.
Ji Yong picked up a chalk like it was a sword and smiled slowly at Ji Hyun.
Ji Hyun, sensing danger, crossed his arms and refused to speak. Not even a breath.
Ji Yong, tall and smug, leaned against the desk like he belonged there—scanning the class like a hawk in a school uniform.
Some girls kept whispering how he looked like a drama lead. "He could literally be a young professor," one said.
He ignored them completely.
Seconds stretched into painful silence. Every throat-clearing felt like a sin.
Then, right before the bell was about to ring—
A loud sneeze.
Everyone turned. Ji Hyun blinked, caught off guard by his own betrayal.
Slowly, Ji Yong walked to the board.
Picked up the chalk.
And with exaggerated neatness, wrote:
PARK JI HYUN.
A collective giggle echoed. Some girls hid their faces, laughing. A few boys stared like Ji Yong had just summoned lightning from his fingers.
Ji Hyun sat frozen. Face heating.
Ji Yong dusted his hands clean of chalk like he'd finished a difficult job. His smirk was pure villain energy.
The teacher walked in again, glanced at the board, and sighed. "I'm not surprised."
She turned to Ji Hyun. "I didn't know you were so passionate about keeping the classroom clean."
Ji Hyun muttered, "It's not like I talked to the air..."
She arched a brow. "In your case, that might actually happen."
He gulped.
She gathered her books and left without another word.
"Thank you, teacher," the class chorused, trying not to laugh.
______
The moment she disappeared, Ji Hyun stood, grabbing his things in a flurry of pride and embarrassment.
"You shouldn't have stayed silent," Ji Yong said casually, swinging his bag over one shoulder. "Even if you had, I would've still written your name."
Ji Hyun glared at him, speechless.
"Rules are rules," Ji Yong added with a wink.
Before Ji Hyun could come up with a comeback, Hyun Soo grabbed his wrist.
"Come on, before you get more punishments," he whispered and practically dragged him toward the hallway.
As they crossed the door, Ji Yong called after him, voice light but perfectly timed:
"If you had just asked nicely... I would've joined you for cleaning duty."
Ji Hyun didn't even look back. He just raised one finger in the air.
Ji Yong chuckled.
And chalk dust still clung faintly to his fingers.
_____________________________________________________________
The last bell had rung. Students had packed up, laughter echoing down the corridors as sneakers squeaked against tile. The sun outside was low, casting warm gold across empty desks and long shadows on the walls.
But Ji Hyun didn't move.
He was still at his seat, eyeing the clock, silently praying that the teacher would forget.
It was Saturday's punishment day—but maybe if he stayed quiet, maybe if he looked extra studious...
Then Ji Yong opened his mouth.
"Didn't Park Ji Hyun have cleaning duty today?" he asked the teacher, voice light as air.
Ji Hyun's foot shot out under the desk and slammed into Ji Yong's shin.
Jiyong jolted but swallowed the reaction with an infuriating straight face.
"Oh right," the teacher said, pausing in the doorway. "Thanks for the reminder, Ji Yong."
Ji Hyun hissed through his teeth. Snake. Traitor. Menace.
He cleared his throat and attempted a weak performance. "Actually... I think I'm getting a headache. Maybe I should sit this out."
"I'll help him," Ji Yong offered instantly.
Before Ji Hyun could strangle him, Hyun Soo chimed in. "Me too! I'll help!"
The teacher gave them a long look. "Nice try. Friends helping each other just means trouble. Ji Hyun, no excuses."
She turned, grabbed her bag, and left—heels echoing down the now-quiet hallway.
As the classroom door clicked shut, the sun dipped lower, bathing everything in amber.
Ji Hyun sighed and grabbed the broom. "You don't have to stay," he said to Hyun Soo. "You're not part of this."
"I'm not going," Hyun Soo said, determined. "You're my friend."
Ji Yong leaned back in the teacher's chair, arms crossed. "What, are you hoping for punishment too?"
Hyun Soo squinted at him. "Some people don't bail just because things get hard."
Ji Yong smirked. "Touching."
Ji Hyun gave Hyun Soo a small nod. "But seriously... you're good at school. Don't risk getting dragged into this."
Hyun Soo looked torn, but finally nodded. "Alright. I'll wait outside. Scream if he does something stupid."
He pointed at Ji Yong with narrowed eyes, then left.
And then it was just the two of them.
The room felt bigger and emptier all at once.
Ji Yong spun lazily in the teacher's chair like a prince without a crown. Ji Hyun resisted the urge to throw the broom at his head.
"We can start from here," Ji Hyun muttered, pointing to the first row of desks.
Ji Yong leaned back, smiling. "Good idea. You start."
Ji Hyun glared.
But he worked—quiet, irritated, focused. Until he noticed something.
Crushed paper had mysteriously appeared in the spot he just cleaned.
He turned. Ji Yong was chewing gum and tossing a wrapper in the air.
"Oops."
Ji Hyun didn't say anything. He calmly picked up the chalkboard eraser—one thick with white powder—and hurled it at Ji Yong.
It hit him square on the head.
Ji Yong blinked, expressionless, as the white dust covered his black hair.
Ji Hyun gave a short, breathy laugh. "Oops."
"Oh, I see how it is," Ji Yong muttered, brushing off his shoulder.
"You looked dusty," Ji Hyun said with an innocent smile.
"I love that."
Before Ji Hyun could back away, Ji Yong stood, grabbed his wrist, and marched him out of the room.
"Hey! Where are you taking me?!"
"We're fixing this."
The hallway was empty now—silent and glowing with the soft orange of sunset seeping through the windows.
Ji Yong pushed open the door to the student bathroom and dragged Ji Hyun inside.
The soft flicker of the overhead light buzzed.
Ji Yong reached for the jet spray near the mop sink.
Ji Hyun backed away instantly. "You better not—"
"You started this."
He turned the nozzle. A quick spray shot out.
Ji Hyun yelped, dodging—but not fast enough.
Soaked.
His uniform clung to him like second skin. His hair was dripping, bangs in his eyes.
"I hate you!" he shouted.
"Noted," Ji Yong grinned.
They wrestled for the hose, slipping on the wet floor, water spraying across the tiles like a full-blown storm. Ji Hyun grabbed a damp cloth and smacked it against Ji Yong's shoulder. Ji Yong shoved back. It was a mess.
It was stupid.
It was war.
And then Ji Yong moved.
Two strides. One corner.
Ji Hyun found himself pinned to the wall, eyes wide, hand raised in warning.
"You stop there."
Ji Yong reached up and grabbed Ji Hyun's finger, effortlessly.
Ji Hyun looked tiny in comparison—his damp shirt clinging, hair falling messily over his eyes, lips parted in disbelief.
Ji Yong looked down at him, unfazed.
He reached up, ruffled Ji Hyun's wet hair, letting his fingers graze the back of his neck.
"You look cute like this."
Ji Hyun scowled.
Ji Yong's voice dropped, slow and teasing.
"Careful, Park Ji Hyun..."
He leaned down, breath brushing Ji Hyun's cheek.
"...do something like this again—"
His mouth tilted in a crooked grin.
"—and you might end up between my arms instead of these walls."
Ji Hyun's heart didn't race.
He was angry.
At least, that's what he told himself.
"Back. Off," he snapped.
Ji Yong pulled back with a casual shrug. "Fine."
But the smile didn't leave his face.
Ji Hyun shoved past him, drenched, dripping, furious.
Behind him, Ji Yong reached for a towel, still humming like nothing had happened.
Like this was just another ordinary evening.